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THE FIRST BOOK OF<br/>
<span class=large>SAMUEL</span><br/> OTHERWISE CALLED<br/> THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS
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CHAPTER 15
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Saul commanded to smite and destroy the Amalekites and all that they have—He saves some animals to sacrifice—Saul is rejected from being king, and told that to obey is better than sacrifice—Samuel destroys Agag.
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&nbsp;&nbsp;1 <span class='smallcaps'>
Samuel</span> also said unto Saul, The <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> sent me to <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/1a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Anointing.">anoint</a> thee <i>to</i> <i>be</i> king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>.
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Thus saith the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> of hosts, I remember <i>that</i> which <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/2a" mark="a" type="A" title="Ex. 17: 8 (8-16).">Amalek</a> did to Israel, how he laid <i>wait</i> for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
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Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/3a" mark="a" type="A" title="Deut. 2: 34.">destroy</a> all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
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And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
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And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
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&#182; And Saul said unto the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/6a" mark="a" type="A" title="Judg. 1: 16.">Kenites</a>, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.  So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
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And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah <i>until</i> thou comest to <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/7a" mark="a" type="A" title="Gen. 25: 18.">Shur</a>, that <i>is</i> over against Egypt.
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And he took <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/8a" mark="a" type="A" title="Esth. 3: 1.">Agag</a> the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
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But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all <i>that was</i> good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing <i>that was</i> vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
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&#182; Then came the word of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> unto Samuel, saying,
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<sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/11a" mark="a" type="H" title="JST 1 Sam. 15: 11 I have set up Saul to be a king, and he repenteth not that he hath sinned, for he is  . . .">It</a> <sup>b</sup><a href="1_sam/15/11b" mark="b" type="E" title="The Heb. root means ‘to sigh,’ therefore ‘to feel sorrow.’; Gen. 6: 6; 2 Sam. 24: 16; Joel 2: 13.">repenteth</a> me that I have set up Saul <i>to be</i> king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.  And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> all night.
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And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
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And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed <i>be</i> thou of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>: I have performed the commandment of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>.
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And Samuel said, What <i>meaneth</i> then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
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And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
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Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> hath said to me this night.  And he said unto him, Say on.
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And Samuel said, When thou <i>wast</i> little in thine own sight, <i>wast</i> thou not <i>made</i> the head of the tribes of Israel, and the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/17a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Called of God.">anointed</a> thee king over Israel?
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And the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
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Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>?
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And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>, and have gone the way which the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
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But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> thy God in Gilgal.
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And Samuel said, Hath the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> <i>as great</i> <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/22a" mark="a" type="A" title="Ps. 40: 6 (6-8); Ps. 69: 31 (30-31); Isa. 1: 11.">delight</a> in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the <sup>b</sup><a href="1_sam/15/22b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG God, Will of.">voice</a> of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>?  Behold, to <sup>c</sup><a href="1_sam/15/22c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Duty; TG Obedience.">obey</a> <i>is</i> better than <sup>d</sup><a href="1_sam/15/22d" mark="d" type="C" title="Ps. 51: 16; Prov. 21: 3; Heb. 10: 6 (4-6); TG Sacrifice.">sacrifice</a>, <i>and</i> to hearken than the fat of <sup>e</sup><a href="1_sam/15/22e" mark="e" type="A" title="Micah 6: 7.">rams</a>.
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For <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/23a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Rebellion.">rebellion</a> <i>is as</i> the sin of witchcraft, and <sup>b</sup><a href="1_sam/15/23b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Stubbornness.">stubbornness</a> <i>is as</i> iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast <sup>c</sup><a href="1_sam/15/23c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Disobedience.">rejected</a> the word of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>, he hath also <sup>d</sup><a href="1_sam/15/23d" mark="d" type="A" title="Hosea 13: 11 (9-14).">rejected</a> thee from <i>being</i> king.
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&#182; And Saul said unto Samuel, I have <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/24a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Confession.">sinned</a>: for I have <sup>b</sup><a href="1_sam/15/24b" mark="b" type="A" title="2 Sam. 12: 13 (9-14).">transgressed</a> the commandment of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>, and thy words: because I <sup>c</sup><a href="1_sam/15/24c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Peer Influence.">feared</a> the people, and obeyed their voice.
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Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>.
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And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>, and the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
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And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/27a" mark="a" type="D" title="OR was torn.">rent</a>.
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And Samuel said unto him, The <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> hath rent the <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/28a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Sam. 28: 17 (17-18).">kingdom</a> of Israel from thee this day, and hath <sup>b</sup><a href="1_sam/15/28b" mark="b" type="A" title="1 Sam. 13: 14 (13-14).">given</a> it to a <sup>c</sup><a href="1_sam/15/28c" mark="c" type="A" title="2 Sam. 3: 9.">neighbour</a> of thine, <i>that</i> <i>is</i> better than thou.
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And also <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/29a" mark="a" type="D" title="IE the LORD.">the</a> Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he <i>is</i> not a man, that he should repent.
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Then he said, I have sinned: <i>yet</i> honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> thy God.
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So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span>.
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&#182; Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.  And Agag came unto him delicately.  And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
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And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women.  And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> in Gilgal.
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&#182; Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
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And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the <span class='smallcaps'>Lord</span> <sup>a</sup><a href="1_sam/15/35a" mark="a" type="H" title="JST 1 Sam. 15: 35  . . .  rent the kingdom from Saul whom he had made king over Israel.">repented</a> that he had made Saul king over Israel.
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